Wednesday, January 14, 2009

In a state of terminal boredom Lord Patel watched Prime Minister's Question time (PMQ's), for the first time ever today. He perked up when Jeremy Corbyn Labour MP , Islngton North, was called and asked (roughly correct, but look for the text in Hansard in the morning). See below for actual Hansard record.

"There is ample evidence that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza , will the Government be making a case to bring them before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a stony silence, Gordon saw it as a planted question and explained in his self congratulatiry and grating Lang Toon vowels how he had saved the world by sponsoring, writing, eding, wording, re-wording, burnishing , polishing, the UN resolution on Monday calling for a cease fire - failing to mention that out great ally had not signed up for this polished, tabernacle of plitical language and carefully nuanced UN flummery.

“Early Friday morning the secretary of state was considering bringing the cease-fire resolution to a UNSC vote and we didn’t want her to vote for it.” Olmert said. “I said ‘get President Bush on the phone.’ They tried and told me he was in the middle of a lecture in Philadelphia. I said ‘I’m not interested, I need to speak to him now.’ He got down from the podium, went out and took the phone call.”

A beaming Olmert then described telling President Bush “the US cannot possibly vote in favor of this resolution,” and spoke with pride of how embarrassed US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was at having to abstain from voting for a resolution she helped to organize and gather support for.

So Israel - not a member of the UN Security Council can influence the result of their resolutions. ... and of course carry on bombing the shit out of anybody who gets in their way - using munitions, aircraft , weapons etc., supplied free C/O kind Uncle Sam.

Arab ministers said after the U.N. vote Thursday that Rice had promised them the United States would support the resolution, but then made an about-face after talking to Bush.

A few minutes before the scheduled vote at the United Nations, Rice's staff told reporters she would make a few brief comments beforehand, but then abruptly cancelled her press appearance, saying she would instead speak to Bush by phone.

She then entered the U.N. Security Council chamber, huddled with Arab ministers who shook their heads as she spoke to them. Immediately after the vote, Rice left for Washington without talking to reporters.

Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North) (Lab): Will the Prime Minister bear it in mind that, in the past three weeks, the Israeli forces have killed 1,000 people in Gaza, 300 of whom were children, and denied medical aid, food and energy and blockaded the people during the past year? These are war crimes. They have committed acts against the people of Gaza that ought to be referred to the International Criminal Court. Will the Prime Minister join the calls to ensure that that takes place?

The Prime Minister: We took action in drafting the resolution that went through the United Nations last week. Words cannot describe the feeling that families will have as a child dies, or at the level of civilian deaths and casualties and the displacement of 90,000 people in Gaza, but our resolution sought to call for an immediate ceasefire, to recognise the damage that had been done and was being done, and to call for humanitarian action—a call that I repeated when I talked to Prime Minister Olmert last night and asked him to increase the humanitarian action and to take the necessary action to achieve a ceasefire.

The reason why we supported the UN measure was that the Arab countries were also prepared to sign up to two things that are very important to any sustainable ceasefire. The first is an end to arms trafficking and particularly the destruction of the tunnels in Gaza. I talked to President Mubarak yesterday about what we can do and how we can help to achieve that. Secondly, of course— [Interruption.] I think this is important, as we will also need international support to execute the opening of the crossings. It is important that we have the support of the Arab League countries as well as the other countries that signed that motion. In other words, we are doing everything that we can to make possible an immediate ceasefire.

What would have happened had Brown NOT put up the resolution?. I will tell you his life would have been even more hard...very hard from many more people in New Labour and the UK then it is. Now he can turn around and say I put up the resolution, I tried my best.Think ziz think what at the end of the day is the outcome of the resolution then you have your answer.They still get what they wanted and Brown looks good to the weak minded in New Labour and the UK it makes them feel good.Plus,plus,all the way for Brown.

I have been tilting at windwills on this story, ie. Olmert telling George how to vote. There is a recent JPost article explaining what a ration of shit Livni and Kadima took in Israel because the US UN representative had the temerity to abstain, rather than simply vote against the resolution, which is standard operating procedure. Benji and Likud were playing the abstention up as a defeat for Kadima. Juan Cole actually goes through a rather detailed analysis of the issue. I have not read the other articles cited in the post, but I believe that an interview that Olmert gave with Agence France Presse is the original material for all of the subsequent news reports.

"The demonstration this Saturday 24 January will march to Downing Street, calling for the lifting of the Gaza blockade, an end to all arms sales to Israel and for Israel to be made to pay for its war crimes."

"We will also be registering our disgust over Gordon Brown's support for Israel following its barbaric attack. The day after the massacre was ended - so as not to spoil Barack Obama's inauguration with pictures of phosphorous bombs dropping on UN schools in Gaza - Brown rushed off to join five other heads of government for a celebratory gala dinner at the Jerusalem home of Israel's prime minister Ehud Olmert, alongside Olmert's compatriots in mass murder, defence minister Ehud Barak and foreign minister Tzipi Livni."

"Thank you for demonstrating your impressive support for the State of Israel", said Olmert, "This is in the supreme interest of all those who fight the forces of evil," among whom he no doubt meant the 450 children in Gaza killed by Israel over the past three weeks."

"To which Brown replied, without a sliver of irony, "The task before us is… an end to arms trafficking." Not of course the arms trafficking which makes Israel the fourth most powerful military in the world, able to use the most advanced weapons of mass slaughter to kill 1400 Palestinians and injure 6000 more."...

Let you into a secret - the WH / olmert and the gangstas and war crminals have no concern for Browns's embarassment or otherwise.

The resoltuion failed because the tel Abiv terrist didn't want it to pass - it had no force or reason.

Hoping you watched Bahm Emmauel accompany Tzipi Lvni at the press Club and watch,as when the journo's questions started to get tough he sat unmoved as the mikes were switched off.

Nice to see Brown when safely in Israel was happy to tell reporters..." I believe we now have the basis for a ceasefire. We are prepared to provide British naval support to stop arms trafficking. Other countries are agreeing also that they will provide the support that is necessary to stop arms getting into Gaza."

No mention about US arms getting into Israel. His even handed approach is much admired they tell me in the IDF.